Rep. Gilmore doesn’t rule out primary run against Sen. Harper

Longtime Democratic Sen. Thelma Harper has confirmed plans to run for re-election, but the door could be cracked open for a potential Democratic primary challenge from another high-profile North Nashville politician.

Democratic Rep. Brenda Gilmore wouldn’t rule out running against Harper in the Aug. 2014 primary when contacted by the Tennessean, though she stopped short of embracing the idea either.

“I wouldn’t say I’m not interested in the position,” Gilmore said after initially seeming to discount the notion.

“I’m always interested in doing whatever I can to help my community, but I haven’t made any decision to challenge anyone.”

Gilmore, whose name has been bandied around as a possible primary challenger to Harper, has a history of knocking off Democratic incumbents. A former two-term Metro councilwoman, Gilmore arrived at her current District 54 House seat in 2006 by defeating former state Rep. (and current Councilwoman) Edith Langster.

If she were to target Harper, she would be making a play against something of a local political legend, one who has held her current seat since 1988.

The 72-year-old Harper told The Tennessean last month she would be running for another term for the predominantly African-American North Nashville District 19 senate district.

“I love it,” she said. “I work hard by trying to help people.”

The past year has represented a changing of the guard for Davidson County Democrats. Gone is Sen. Joe Haynes who opted against running for re-election in 2012. Rep. Mary Pruitt lost a primary challenge in August. And most recently, Sen. Douglas Henry announced he wouldn’t seek re-election in 2014 for a district that was altered vastly during redistricting.

Another person who has garnered speculation as a potential challenger to Harper is At-large Councilman Jerry Maynard, though he has said he’s weighing a run for mayor of Nashville in 2015.